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Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 10/1/2009 2:45:30 PM
Posts: 1,
Visits: 2
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| I live in the rainy NW where it rains about 10 months of the year (obviously not the entire 10 months but at least some rain every month). I want to collect rainwater for use in our gardens but cant seem to come up with some good PRO's to convince my husband. He doesn't see the point since it rains so much here. Plus, we live in the sticks and run on well and septic so it wouldn't be to save money (unless you count not running the well pump for an hour). Any ideas?
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New Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 10/26/2009 8:48:25 PM
Posts: 65,
Visits: 171
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| I'm also in the NW, but not quite as far N as it sounds like you are, so we still have fairly dry summers. I collect the rainwater off my chicken coop and sheep sheds and use it for my animals. Over the next year, I'm planning to put in larger barrels on the house to collect rainwater for the gardens. For me, part of the appeal is that our water out here is fairly expensive. We have city water and sewer, but because it is such a small community that shares the expense, our costs are high. It sounds like that isn't really a concern for you, though. I guess my question to your husband would be, what does he see as the downside of collecting rainwater? I mean, it is free since it's falling from the sky, and it's usually clean unless you live in an area with air pollution. It saves taking water from your well for your plants and animals, during periods when it isn't raining, and it's easy and doesn't cost much to set up the system, especially if you make the barrels yourself. My rainbarrels are all 55 gal drums that used to hold olives. They cost ~$20, and we drilled holes in them and fitted them with hose fittings. Total cost, about $40. Either Hobby Farms or Hobby Farm Home mag had a 'how to' on making your own barrels in the last couple of months that had all the info you need.
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 6/3/2009 7:22:53 PM
Posts: 290,
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Hi,
I live in the rainy NW as well, but we've just had over a week of extremely warm, dry weather in our area (it hit 90 today -- way hot for this time of year!), and I've had to water the garden like crazy. We've been capturing water off our horse barn since last summer in tubs, but this summer we're putting in rain barrels on our house and barns for sure. We had a pretty dry summer last year -- I know one family whose well went dry -- and I'm starting to worry what July and August will be like if it's this hot and dry already!
Water is something we really take for granted here, but many parts of the country and world are experiencing droughts and water shortages. The water situation is expected to get even worse, for many reasons (climate change is a big one). Anyway, I just don't feel right wasting it.
Cherie
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New Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 7:45:02 PM
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We are putting gutters on our A-Frame to collect rainwater because our basement is getting wet! Seems the original builder didn't do a good job of draining the water from the roof line away from the foundation...that is another "PRO"...
M. and D.
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Average Member
Group: Banned Members
Last Login: 6/14/2009 6:27:31 PM
Posts: 593,
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Ever loose power?
our house has such a set up. It's a collection tank made of stone, shaped like a football up on point under my garage.
The home builder put it in. The gutters ran to it, and then a pipe from the kitchen sink ran down to it under the floor. It would hold around 500 gallons or more.
a second tank was in the basement. so all in all the house could hold it's own water at around 1,000 gallons + in 1900.
They also had a well outside and another collection tank for the barn that ran off a wind mill.
Had it all been kept up, the house would never have run out of water when the power went out and here in the sticks... we can go for days with out power.
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/30/2009 6:50:45 PM
Posts: 170,
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I live in what we call 'the other NW' - Northwestern Ontario that is. And there are many times where we get our share of water. There are also times where it can be very dry. Plus,we are on a well.
I have water barrels, for a number of reasons. One is that the water doesn't have to go through our home system to be put on the garden, which saves electricity and reduces your carbon footprint.
Others have talked about the advantages of water barrels. There is another one... if the power goes out... as long as you have a water filter you have water for personal use, or you could simply use it to flush the toilet, which I've had to do many times.
Water is a precious resource and should be treated as such, regardless of how much falls from the sky.
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/30/2009 6:50:45 PM
Posts: 170,
Visits: 125
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I just finished watching a movie called 'FLOW'. It's all about water, corporations, aquifers and who's controlling what. If you want to get your husband on board with water barrels, watch the movie. One point from the movie was that, by collecting rain water and then using it on your garden you are not taking from the aquifer. And by using the collected rain water on your garden you are simply storing some of the water that fell, to be put on the ground a little later.
Good movie - sure makes one think.
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Senior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 7:35:32 AM
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That does look good. I will say that Maine has been increasing rainfall every year for the last 50 years its been measured, but we also have Poland Springs water that is here trying to buy it up too.
For those that care, here is the trailer...
http://www.flowthefilm.com/trailer
As a farmer, I am so successful at what I do, that even this nations poor people are fat!
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Starting Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 10/27/2009 5:55:12 PM
Posts: 6,
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I devised a system to capture rainwater in barrels (recycled food grade) off of the roof of my chicken coop. I then run it through an automatic float valve to water my chickens. Even though the coop is small (8X8)... one good rainstorm gives me 70 gallons of water. So if you have livestock... maybe this is something you could consider?
Swampy Acres Farm
Hampstead, NH
www.swampyacresfarm.com
“Southern New Hampshire’s most un-profitable farm!”
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